A Ritual Undone
by Areti95
Summary: What if Dorian's father had succeeded in his ritual? An AU where Inquisitor Lavellan must determine how she can help and whether she can let him go.
1. Chapter 1

The Inquisitor sighed as she put aside another set of documents. She'd been holed up in her rooms all day, trying to make a dent in her paperwork, rather than running around adventuring with her friends. She wasn't meant to be sitting on her butt all day. She was meant to be running around, fighting, and furthering the goals of the Inquisition. Just then there was a knock on her door, pulling her out of her self-pity.

"Come in," she called irritably as she pulled another document in front of her so she could at least make it look like she was working.

"My, someone's in a foul mood," his voice said teasingly. The Inquisitor couldn't stop a smile from spreading across her face and she looked up as he came up the stairs.

"Dorian," she said. He smiled at her.

"Who else?"

"I honestly half-expected Cassandra or Cullen coming to ask me if I'd finished all this," she said with a scowl at the mountain of paperwork.

"You've been working on that all day," he said as he came to stand across from her.

"I know! And I've barely gotten anything done," she groaned. He shook his head as he set a bottle and some glasses down on her desk.

"Set it aside for the night, Lavellan," he said. She sighed as she sat back in her chair.

"I can't. Putting it off is what got me in this mess. Josephine said I couldn't come out until I got at least half of it done," she pouted. Dorian chuckled.

"I never said to leave. Let's share this wine and see how much we can have till we've drunk ourselves silly," he said. The Inquisitor smiled.

"Tempting, but are you sure that's the real reason you're here?" she asked. Dorian's grin broadened and he shrugged.

"I suppose we could skip the wine and go straight to the fun bit," he teased. She sighed as she glanced to the pile of paperwork.

"I don't know," she began. Dorian started pouring the wine.

"At least have a glass with me, if nothing else. You've earned a break," he said and came around the desk to hand a glass to her. She sighed and took it.

"I don't know that anyone else would agree but I'm too tired to argue," she said and raised it to her lips.

"Why is that? I thought the whole point of having Josephine and Cullen was so you didn't have to do paperwork like this," Dorian said. The elven rogue shot him a look though he pretended not to notice.

"To a point, I suppose. But I shouldn't shirk everything off to them, as much as I'd rather be running around fighting the Venatori," she replied.

"I prefer watching you run around too," Dorian said into his cup.

"Is that so, oh mighty mage?" the Inquisitor teased with a smile. Dorian smirked.

"Well, of course. You're so much more petulant and crabby when you have paperwork," he said.

"You would be too if you had this much!" she protested. He chuckled.

"You're right about that, my dear," he said and kissed the top of her head. She sighed.

"Maker, I'm tired," she said.

"More so than after fighting all day?" the mage teased.

"Amazingly so," she replied. Dorian set his cup on her desk and took her hand.

"Then let's go to bed," he said softly. She looked up at him.

"But all of this paperwork-"

"Can wait until tomorrow," he interrupted quietly. He took her glass and set it on her desk before pulling her up into a long kiss. Finally they broke apart and she gave him a small smile.

"Alright, Dorian. You win," she said. He smiled at her.

"All thanks to my wit and charm," he said.

"Mmm. Or maybe the wine," she teased. He seemed to consider this.

"Nope. All me," he said with a smirk. She smiled and shook her head.

"Whatever you say, Dorian. Now come to bed with me," she said and pulled on his arm. He laughed as he let her drag him towards the bed.

"Aren't you concerned what they'll say if they find us in the morning?" he teased. She turned to face him, planting a kiss on his lips and pressing herself tightly to him.

"I don't think that's any concern of theirs, do you?" she said quietly as she drew back. He wrapped his arms around her, drawing her body back to his.

"Not in the slightest," he replied.


	2. Chapter 2

The Inquisitor woke part way through the night to find the bed empty. She sat up looking for Dorian and saw the door to the balcony open. She wrapped a blanket around herself and walked to the door where she leaned against the frame.

Dorian stood at the railing, arms braced as he leaned into the cool breeze. It ruffled his hair and carried the faint smell of his cologne to the Inquisitor. She shuddered at the chill air and was about to call Dorian when he shifted. He turned his face slightly as he raised a hand to it and she realized then, as the moonlight glinted off his face, that he had been crying. He took a deep breath as he wiped the tears away. He braced himself again and looked up at the moon.

"What is wrong with me?" she heard him mutter bitterly.

"Dorian," the Inquisitor finally whispered and he turned to her. She hadn't even realized she'd moved from the door, standing only a few steps away from him. The pain that was just on his face tried to slip away behind a smile.

"Sorry, just needed a breath of fresh air," he said. She saw his smile slip away as she brought a hand to his face.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, unable to make any other words come from her. He turned from her with a sigh.

"Don't suppose I could get away with lying to you at this point, could I?" he said, looking at her out of the corner of his eye. He shook his head. "No. That would only make you worry more." She didn't respond to him but gently took his hand. He looked down at their entwined fingers and ran his thumb nervously over her finger.

"For a long time now, it's felt like something has been missing. A… a piece of who I am. I find myself getting lost in memories I don't have, just… just blank spaces where I know there should be something. I can remember some of the things leading up to the blanks. But then there are other memories where there are pieces missing. A person's face or a name I should know. Things like that. And no matter how hard I try, no matter how much I think about it and try to trace it back I can't figure it out. I can't remember," Dorian said. His voice was tight and hoarse, tears beginning to flow down his face as his hands clenched into tight fists.

"So all these times I've come to the library and you were sitting in your chair staring out the window like you were a million miles away, when you didn't even hear me say your name, that's what you were doing?" she asked. He nodded.

"Maker knows I hate admitting this. I've been trying to deal with it but I just… It scares me; so much of my life is missing. I feel empty," he said. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, like she could squeeze him back together.

"You're freezing. Come back to bed with me and I promise, first thing in the morning, we will try and find out what is going on," she said, lightly kissing his shoulder. He turned to her, wrapping her in his arms.

"I'll hold you to that, Inquisitor," he whispered as he held her. She shuddered, though from the tone of his voice or the cold she wasn't sure. She brushed the feeling aside, led Dorian back to the bed, and cuddled up to him. Eventually he rolled away from her, though she knew he was not asleep. But she let him, and lay there, staring up at the ceiling as slowly his breathing changed.

It seemed to have taken ages but the mage was finally asleep. The Inquisitor looked at his strong shoulders and reached out to touch them. He shuddered at the touch of her marked hand and pulled away. She drew back, feeling the worry that had started to eat at her heart grow. But her own exhaustion was waiting, more than ready to mercifully carry her back into sleep and away from her concerns.


	3. Chapter 3

The Inquisitor woke to screams and immediately rolled from her bed to land on the floor, dagger in hand. Dorian was sitting up in her bed, raw magic swirling in a frenzy around him, his hands clutching at his head. The screaming had stopped but he was staring wide-eyed, unseeing, at the blankets.

"Dorian?" she asked tentatively, half crawling back onto the bed. She reached a hand forward but drew it back with a cry as magical fire lashed out and burnt her palm. She looked down at the wound then back up at him.

"Dorian!" she shouted. The mage didn't seem to hear her as she called his name over and over again. Finally she took a deep breath, pulled her arms up to cover her face, and threw herself through the wall of magic. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, whispering softly in his ear as she tried to pull him out of whatever he was going through.

Suddenly his voice broke through her whispers, quiet and hoarse, "Amatus?" Her eyes flew open, and she drew back quickly. He looked confused, though it quickly changed as he noticed the burns all over her.

"What happened? Are you alright?" he demanded, quickly scanning the room before looking at her. She stared at him, unable to utter a word. _He doesn't know._ Those words kept running through her brain as he fussed over her.

"Dorian," she finally managed to say. The mage looked at her face. "What were you dreaming about?" His eyes darted away.

"To be honest I don't remember. I just remember waking up to find you holding me and asking me to come back. Why?" he said softly. She sat back, wincing as she became fully aware of her injuries.

"You were screaming. A vortex of magic surrounded you and you couldn't seem to hear anything. The only way to get to you was to plunge through a wall of fire," she began but her mouth closed as she saw the horrified look on his face.

"You mean I did all of this to you?" he whispered.

"It's not your fault!" she began but he was already turning away, dropping his legs out of the bed.

"Maker, what have I done?" he mumbled as he put his face in his hands.

"It wasn't you, Dorian. I know that," she said, putting her hands on his shoulders. He stood and pulled away from her.

"It doesn't matter. Magic getting away from me like that, behaving like that, it's not normal and it's not ok," he said, fingers anxiously running through his hair as he paced.

"Dorian."

"You don't understand! Things like that are why people fear mages! Things like that allow demons to take control," Dorian shouted. The Inquisitor drew back at the rage in his voice. He turned to her, tears in his eyes.

"What if I had killed you? If I'd woken up and you were dead at my side because of _my_ magic… I couldn't forgive myself, and Cullen and Cassandra," he broke off with a shudder as he turned back around. Slowly the Inquisitor came to stand behind him. She put a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"But you didn't, Dorian. I'll be alright, I've been hurt worse by magic before," she said. He shook his head.

"That's not the point."

"No. But I don't think the point you are trying to make is right either," she said softly. He turned to her.

"What do you mean?"

"You said yourself this isn't normal. What could cause this, Dorian?" she said. He hesitated for a minute.

"I actually don't know. I've not really heard about anything like it," he said.

"Then maybe Cullen or Cassandra-"

"They'll want to lock me up if we go to them," Dorian spat.

"Then perhaps Solas is worth a try," she replied calmly. Dorian shook his head and returned to sit on the bed.

"I don't know. I truly don't," he muttered, his head in his hands. She racked her brain for someone, anyone who might know what was happening. And then it hit her. She rushed to get dressed.

"What are you doing?"

"Wait here. I'll be back soon," she replied as she rushed down the stairs and out the door.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: I would like to say thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed this story so far! This is the first fic I've ever posted so I appreciate all the support! I would like to note that there is some swearing in this chapter so just a warning about that. Thank you all again and I hope you enjoy the rest!**

She pounded on the door of a tower. The Templar inside opened it.

"Inquisitor, what can I do for you?" he asked, the surprise evident in his voice.

"I must see Alexius," she panted. He opened the door wider for her to enter but kept his questions to himself. Quickly she walked up to the former magister.

"What do you want with me, Inquisitor? Is it not enough that you make me work for you?" he drawled.

"I need your help, Alexius," she said. He glared at her before returning to his work.

"I already do your research for you," he began.

"It's for Dorian, Alexius," she interrupted. He hesitated and looked over at her.

"Why should that matter?"

"Because if you care even a little for your former apprentice, for the closest friend of your son, you will help me. Please," the Inquisitor begged. She saw a flicker of pain there, and his shoulders slumped.

"Fine. I'll see what I can do," he said quietly. She took his hand.

"Thank you, Alexius," she told him and led him to her quarters. Dorian was there, fully dressed now, and stood as they entered.

"Him?!" he asked as she led the former magister up the stairs.

"If anyone will know, it's a magister from Tevinter and you know it, Dorian," she replied.

"Inquisitor," Alexius began but she motioned towards the bed.

"You'll see what the magic has done there and I'll explain more," she said. The magister looked skeptical but moved towards the bed. There he saw the remnants of blankets cast in a burnt swirl around where Dorian had been seated, the marks on the floor, wall, and bed frame.

"What caused this?" Alexius asked his interest piqued.

"Dorian. I woke to his screams, a vortex of magic swirling around him but he can't remember anything," she explained. The former magister turned to Dorian.

"Is this true?"

"As far as I know," Dorian replied resentfully. Alexius seemed to consider this.

"I wonder if you were perhaps involved in a blood ritual. There are several out there that could have provided a trauma strong enough for this kind of response," he said slowly. Dorian shook his head.

"Not as far as I'm aware," he said. This earned a snort from Alexius.

"Like you would remember," he replied. Dorian opened his mouth to make a remark but was quickly cut off by the Inquisitor.

"Well, who would?"

"The person or persons that conducted the ritual for starters," Alexius mused. "Quite probably his father too."

"My father? He would never-" Dorian began angrily but his words quickly trailed off.

"What's wrong, Dorian?" the Inquisitor asked.

"I've not spoken to my father for some time and when I left we hadn't been on the best terms. But he's the one who taught me to hate blood magic. I… I can't see him using it on anyone, let alone me," he said softly.

"Perhaps there is a period of time you don't remember or blank spots in your memory. That would be one potential sign," Alexius said. Dorian glared at him before looking away.

"What do you want to do, Dorian?" she asked quietly.

"I want to believe that Alexius is lying to me. I want to believe my father is the man I know him to be," he said.

"But?" she asked. He sighed.

"But I know better than that. So, I should probably start off by contacting my father."

"Then that's what we'll do," she replied. He shook his head.

"You have more important matters-"

"Fuck it," she interrupted and he turned to her in surprise. "Fuck everything else. You are more important than any of that. Bull can handle any dragons that need slaying with his Chargers and Josephine can cut through all this bullshit paperwork faster than I can. Right now you need me so that's where I will go."

Dorian smiled at her and wrapped her in a hug.

"Thank you," he said softly. He wrote a letter to his father, asking for a meeting, as the Inquisitor returned Alexius to his quarters. By the time she had returned, he had sent the letter off.

"So what's the plan?" she asked.

"We go to the tavern in Redcliff and wait for him there. If he doesn't show up… I guess we will just have to go find him," he said. She nodded.

"Then it's off to Redcliff."


	5. Chapter 5

Within a few weeks they had reached Redcliff. They went to the Gull and Lantern and quickly found that there was indeed a Tevinter magister who had arrived shortly before them. In fact, the entire tavern was empty and Dorian's father quickly confronted them.

"Dorian, I got your letter," the man said as he came down the stairs.

"I had assumed that to be the case," Dorian replied tartly.

"I had heard you were with the Inquisition, though I had hoped the rumors were not true," his father said.

"Of course. You wouldn't want your reputation ruined by that, would you?" Dorian replied.

"You already tried to do that when you ran off before your marriage," his father said.

"I wasn't going to live a lie! I wasn't going to marry someone I didn't have any feelings for!" Dorian spat angrily.

"It was your part to play. It was in the name of our family," Halward said.

"Oh, yes. Your fucking legacy. How could I forget?" Dorian snarled. "Tell me, father, what else did you do to uphold your legacy?"

Halward flinched slightly at this.

"I don't know what you mean."

"I want to know what you did," Dorian demanded.

"Where is this coming from, Dorian?"

"It comes from uncontrolled magic! It comes from something that's been nagging at me as wrong for as long as I can remember!" Dorian shouted. Halward looked away.

"And what is it you think I did?" he asked.

"A blood magic ritual. Something you did or had done to me," Dorian spat. Halward visibly jerked at this and Dorian's shoulders slumped.

"It's true then," Dorian said softly.

"I only did what I thought was best," Halward began.

"What you thought was best?!" Dorian shouted. "Was it what you thought was best for me or for you… you and that damned legacy?"

Halward hesitated.

"Does it matter?"

"Does it matter?" Dorian repeated incredulously. "No, I suppose not since either way it's wrong! _You_ taught me that! What could have been going through your head that you would do that?"

"You don't need to know. Only that I regret acting so foolishly," Halward said.

"So tell me what you've done," Dorian demanded. Halward looked away.

"It doesn't matter. What's done is done. You don't need to know," he said. Dorian stormed towards him.

"You don't get to decide that! You did something to me, I deserve to know what it was!" Dorian shouted.

"I… I changed you… with blood magic," Halward finally admitted. It was as if Dorian had frozen.

"Changed me how?"

"You were never interested in women. I needed to hide that, try and pair you with that noble woman to continue the Pavus line. So a ritual was performed to lock it away and change who you were," the magister said quietly. Dorian couldn't respond, his mouth open in disbelief, his eyes burning with rage and pain.

"It was the worst mistake of my life. I've never regretted anything more," Halward told him. Dorian turned away, hands clenched into fists as he fought to control himself. Just as he seemed about to explode the Inquisitor spoke.

"So undo it." Her voice was quiet, barely carrying through the quiet air.

"Do you know what you ask, Inquisitor? Doing it once was dangerous enough, to perform the ritual a second time could destroy his mind completely," Halward said.

"Then let Dorian decide if he wants to take the risk," she said.

"And if I do? He won't love you anymore, Inquisitor. He will be lost to you and your love unrequited," Halward said. There was silence for a moment and then the Inquisitor met his gaze.

"That doesn't matter. It's not my choice to make. Dorian has as much a right as anyone to be who he was meant to be," she said firmly.

"Inquisitor," Dorian said softly. She couldn't quite look at him as she replied.

"It's your choice, Dorian. I'll do whatever you need of me, even if that means you need some of my blood for the ritual."

"I can't ask that of you," he said. "If that's what it takes-"

"You'll go through the ritual anyway," she said softly.

"Even if this is what you want we can't perform the ritual here. The materials I need are hard to gather," Halward said.

"Perhaps the mages we allied with from Redcliff can help," she replied. Halward seemed to flinch at this.

"Even so, we would need a great deal of lyrium, if you want to avoid sacrifices," Halward stated. Dorian turned on him, rage on his face.

"You not only changed me but you _sacrificed_ people to do it?" he demanded.

"I had to have the right amount of power," Halward began.

"And you think that makes it alright?" Dorian demanded. Halward couldn't answer. "I can't believe you."

"Dorian, he wants to make things right. Why else would he have come here," the Inquisitor said gently.

"He _killed_ people, just to do this to me. If he has to kill people again," he growled.

"With help and enough lyrium no one will have to die," Halward interjected.

"And how much lyrium is enough?" Dorian spat.

"Dorian," the Inquisitor said. He shook his head, pacing in his agitation.

"I want to remember, Lavellan. I want to be who I was and not what he made me," he said. "But I can't deal with changing things if it means someone will get hurt."

"You have people that would be willing to help you besides me," she said.

"And what? I'd be indebted to you and them. I don't want that," he said.

"I don't think any of us would feel like you owe us," she replied.

"Ha! If Cassandra or Cullen even found out about this they'd shut us down faster than you can say 'blood magic'," Dorian spat.

"So we will ask Alexius. We can keep it quiet," the Inquisitor replied. Dorian looked torn.

"I don't know."

"You don't have to decide now, Dorian. It'll take time to gather the lyrium and get back," she told him. He sighed, running his hand through his hair.

"Fine," he said. The Inquisitor looked over at Halward.

"You will accompany us back to Skyhold. After that, we will see," she told him. He sighed.

"As you wish, Inquisitor," he replied. She nodded and they left.


	6. Chapter 6

"How are we going to get him into Skyhold without alerting Cullen or Leliana?" Dorian asked as they neared Skyhold.

"Honestly, I'm not entirely sure besides dressing him up as a refugee," the Inquisitor sighed.

"That won't be suspicious at all," Dorian said. She pressed a hand against her temple as she sighed again.

"I'm aware, Dorian. But I don't know what else to do. I've used some of my contacts to start gathering lyrium as quietly as possible, though I think Lelianna is getting suspicious," she grumbled.

"Great," he said.

"Look, I'm trying. I really do want to help and the things we need might be there by the time we get there but besides that-"

His hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"I know. I'm just… I'm not sure what will happen when we do this," he said.

"When? So you have decided?" she began and he looked away.

"Honestly, I think I decided before we left Redcliff," he said. The Inquisitor was quiet as she thought about this.

"Maybe we don't even need to enter Skyhold then. Maybe, if the materials are gathered outside," she began.

"No, not if Alexius and my father are involved. It'd be too easy for them to leave or harm you," Dorian cut in. She sighed.

"You're right of course," she said.

"I usually am. Just goes along with my wit and charm," he said. She smiled a little then looked up at the castle.

"It won't be long now," she muttered. Indeed, they arrived within the next hour. Dorian led his father to one of Skyhold's unused rooms to set up while the Inquisitor went to retrieve Alexius. Upon her arrival Halward carefully explained the ritual to them all.

"This is your last chance to remove yourself from this, Inquisitor," Alexius said as he looked over Halward's notes. She looked over at Dorian, standing while his father prepared him, then down at the floor.

"If this is what Dorian wants," she replied.

"It could put an end to the problems you are seeing. Or make them worse," Halward explained, apparently hearing her response.

"Great. That makes me oh so excited to leave it up to you," Dorian said.

"You don't have to do this," Halward insisted. Dorian sighed.

"No, the Inquisitor is right. As dangerous as it is I want to be who I was meant to. Not whatever you turned me into," he said. Halward hesitated but quickly made preparations.

"I truly thought I was doing what was best for you," he told Dorian as he carefully drew symbols in lyrium on Dorian's skin.

"It doesn't matter. You're not the man I thought you were and you never will be," Dorian said. Halward turned away, seeming a small and broken man to the Inquisitor. He helped Alexius prepare the rest of the lyrium before coming to the Inquisitor.

"This is the last chance," he began as he carefully bound the Inquisitor's marked arm.

"Just get on with it," she growled.

"I believe your mark could help the process if you can keep it activated during the ritual," Halward informed her. She glared at him, but willed her mark to activate. Halward sighed.

"For what it's worth, I am sorry," he said.

"Spare me," Dorian grumbled. Halward gazed at him sadly then turned to Alexius with a nod. They started the invocation. The Inquisitor watched in awe and horror as the magic seemed to surround Dorian. Then there was a sharp pain as Halward slit her wrist and her blood was added to the magic. After that it was impossible for her to be sure what was going on. She thought she saw Halward and Alexius add their blood but she couldn't be sure. It all swirled together in a vortex and she could only watch, as the magic seemed to affect Dorian. His screams clawed their way into her skull, the image of him hunched over with the lyrium blazing on his skin, the smell and color of the fade surrounding him, was burned into her brain. And yet she could not stop it.

She couldn't tell whether the ritual had lasted hours or days, her sense of time so distorted by the magic and pain. But finally the ritual came to an end. The magic seemed to implode, crashing into Dorian and then blasting away from him. She could feel that the connection to the Fade had been severed as Dorian stood there, before he started falling to the floor. The Inquisitor rushed forward to catch him before his head hit the ground.

"The ritual is complete. My mistake is undone," Halward said quietly. The Inquisitor looked up at him from where she held the unconscious Dorian. He knelt and carefully bandaged her arm before removing the cloth he had tied tightly around it. She felt the blood rush into her arm and was overcome by a wave of dizziness, very nearly falling unconscious herself.

"If he wakes, tell him I am sorry and that, when the time comes, I wish to make peace with him," Halward said quietly. Then he left and there was nothing the Inquisitor could do. Carefully she lay Dorian down before toppling over herself. To her surprise, Alexius caught her and lowered her to the floor. Then her vision went dark. Hours later she woke to shouts as someone pounded on the doors. For a moment she couldn't move. Then slowly she sat up and pulled the door open a crack. Cullen pulled up short, barely avoiding hitting her, while Cassandra lowered her sword behind him.

"Inquisitor, are you alright?" he asked. She could see the look on his face, of shock and disbelief. She tried to smile at him.

"Oh, I've never felt better. If you'll excuse me I'm going to stay here for a bit. Maybe have a nap," she replied.

"I'm sorry, but we had reports of screaming and," he started to say. She sighed and took a step back.

"Believe me, Cullen, I know. I promise I'll explain it to you… eventually. But right now… Right now I need some time," she said tiredly.

"Inquisitor," he began to protest but she was already shutting the door. She turned and sat next to Dorian, waiting for him to finally wake. It was hours later, and when she saw the look on his face she understood more than she wanted to.


	7. Chapter 7

They did not discuss what had happened nor what it meant for them as they left the room. In fact, they didn't speak much at all. Their friends were waiting for them.

"Inquisitor, we need to discuss," Cullen began but he quickly stopped as he saw the look on her face.

"I know, Cullen. Later, I promise," she said softly. Before long she had returned to her room. Her desk was empty of papers, her bed replaced and made. It was like nothing had happened. She sighed, almost wishing that there were something, anything, for her to do. She sat at her desk, staring down at the woodwork, before pulling out a sheet of paper. Slowly she started writing an account of what happened. Why she had done what she did. A report for Cullen and taking responsibility for what she had done. It took her hours to get it done and by the time she had finished the sun was setting. Just as she put the quill back there was a knock at her door.

"Come in," she called as she stood.

"Inquisitor," his voice said, and she felt pain shoot through her, so intense she nearly fell back into her chair. Yet she managed to remain standing.

"Dorian," she replied as she looked up at him. He looked hesitant, unusually unsure.

"I wanted to talk… about what happened," he said slowly. She forced a smile.

"What's there to talk about? The ritual done to you years ago has been undone and we are both alive and well," she said with a shrug. Dorian looked pained.

"Don't do this to me, Lavellan. We both know it's not that simple," he said. She sighed.

"No."

"What do you intend to do?" he asked.

"About what?" she replied as she went about straightening her already organized desk.

"About us," he said, his tone becoming angry.

"What do you expect me to say, Dorian? I know that your feelings have changed, that I no longer hold your interest," she said.

"You and I both know you hold all the power here. Yes, you've made me who I'm supposed to be but as far as everyone else knows we are a couple. For us to not be and my interests seeming to suddenly shift… It won't look good for you," he said.

"So what?"

"So are you going to make me stay at your side? Are you going to make me pretend nothing has changed by staying with you?" he demanded. She looked up sharply. The look on his face was fearful and desperate, uncertain.

"I can't do that," she said softly. She saw the surprise fly across his face, along with relief.

"You may not love me anymore but I know that right now you still care, and I still care about you. To force you to be something you're not… I'm really no better than your father then, am I? No, I won't make you pretend," she added with a shake of her head. He didn't respond and she started for the stairs, report in hand.

"But why?" he finally asked. She turned to him with a small, sad smile.

"Because I want you to be happy, as exactly who you are. I want to be your friend supporting you in whatever you do. I can't force you to do anything against that. You're my best friend, Dorian, and I can't ruin that with petty want," she said. She had already turned when she heard his quiet response.

"Thank you, Inquisitor."


End file.
